A Commercial Conference Highlighting Education

At Commercial UAV Expo, nearly 200 companies descended upon Las Vegas to showcase their wares.
Products varied from new UAS models to sensors to software, and everything in-between, including at
UAS blimp. Though primarily an event for businesses, this year’s Commercial UAV Expo included a focus
on education.
Sixty people attended a University Roundtable facilitated by Palomar College. Education professionals
from across the country came together to collaborate on topics such as curriculum development,
liability/insurance, program funding, and more. Discussion leaders guided fascinating conversations on
the successes and pitfalls of UAS programs at the community college and university levels. Many in
attendance were starting on the path to create a UAS program at their institutions and were eager for
guidance from established programs. Below are some of the highlights from the roundtable discussions.

Curriculum Development.
Discussion Leader: Chris Carter.
The discussion centered around three questions/areas:
1. How do you ensure your courses are aligned with employer needs?
2. Describe your pathways including Name of targeted job titles and applications.
3. Describe your content related to student service-learning or other real-world context.

• Several community colleges and universities at the table have some excellent programs and
  much more is being planned.
• Very interdisciplinary, across the curriculum. Some institutions offer terminal AS or BS degrees
  in UAS but mostly in skill-based and certificate offerings.
• Flexible pathways important, starting with certificates and minors mostly
• Importance of alignment with industry through advisory committees and partnerships with
  industry

Other notes: keep in mind the connections to and need for occupational licensing in addition to drone
content. For example, professional surveyors’ licenses are required by many states. Photogrammetrist
licenses are required in many states, too. Drone building and programming are keys to a good pathway,
and the need to know inside and outside, as well as on the data side. All parties agreed changes are
coming for UAS certification, including logbooks required and other issues that will have an impact on
future curriculum.

Standard Operating Procedures.
Discussion Leader: Desi Ekstein
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are a documented process that a company has in place to ensure
that safety protocols, services, and products are delivered and followed consistently.
Through our discussion, SOP’s and safety should be available through more resources. We do not want
to “reinvent the wheel.” Organizations want to rely on academia to provide guidelines, training, and
resources. Standard procedures are a long and ongoing processes, but there is a base of safety that
applies across the industry. Educational institutions should offer information or a course-specific to
safety and standard operating procedures development. Some sources that are being used are AUVSI
TOP, NIST, and DroneResponders.org.

Several helpful tips were shared:

• No drones are allowed on the field until the individual has passed a safety test. The test was
  referred to as SOSC. Refer to the following link for reference:
  https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/emergency_situations/
• Designate a roped off area for flight activities. People will still “cross the line,” particularly at a
  school campus. Allow additional crew members or visual observers to help mitigate the risk of
  non-crew members from passing through. Also, it is advisable to use off-campus locations or
  designated flying areas, such as AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) or prearranged UAS
  flight-specific locations in the nearby area.
• Use a system of questions and answers for safety and check out processes. Possible
  development of a key code system identifying check-in/out of equipment is advisable.

Included in the discussion was the importance of logs for tracking data. Maintenance logs, pilot logs,
battery logs, and check out logs. Paper logs are still in use, while online logs are increasingly popular.
Some follow the application-based checklist, and others use spreadsheets designation for safety
personnel. Due to a continual follow up on documentation and procedures, this will help aid with
individual accountability. By implementing set standards and protocols, there is no guesswork to what
duties should be performed and by whom. Should there be missing equipment or an unfortunate
incident, there will be sufficient documentation to follow up.

Liability and Insurance.
Discussion Leader: Justine Hollingshead.
Liability and insurance are one of these concepts people, colleges, and some industry partners do not
consider until it is too late. Thankfully, most of the people participating in this discussion were being
proactive.

Topics of conversation included:

Liabilities for the institution

• Worst-case scenario
• Written procedures and policies
• Training and documentation

Types of equipment

• Assessment and use cases across campuses
• Funding sources
• Drone, sensors, aftermarket equipment, accessories –all of it needs to be documented
  for insurance

Aviation policies
Types of insurance

• Make sure insurance covers all locations that the university manages.
• How to make sure equipment gets insured – catch at the procurement part of process
• Where do costs of premiums reside in the university structure – hidden costs that are
  not built into budgets
• International research

Type of airspace

• Waivers needed
• Types of pilots – Part 107 versus recreational
• Communication
• Sharing information about policies, procedures, and expectations with all stakeholders
  changes in the law

The group also discussed several resources.
University policies

• NC State policy, requirements and tips
• Virginia Tech

Miscellaneous

• DroneResponders.org – a variety of resources on their website
• University Aviation Association
• UAV Coach Insurance Overview
• DroneU Insurance FAQ
• United Educators – Drone Risks in Higher Education

Overall, the University Roundtable event was well attended, and most participants were eager to
continue the discussions far after the event ended. Many participants inquired about starting an online
resource where community colleges, universities, and other UAS educational institutions can share
ideas, resources, and participate in discussions. Throughout the event, there was an overwhelming air of
collaboration. Working together, institutions will create the highest quality programs, ensuring the
proficiency of the next generation of the UAS workforce.

A special thank you to all of the discussion leaders. The university roundtable would not have been
possible without the following people:

Chris Carter, Deputy Director of the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) and PI: Geospatial

Technician Education-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (GeoTEd-UAS).

Desi Ekstien, UAS Instructor, Mira Costa College.

Justine R. Hollingshead, Chief of Staff and Assistant Vice Chancellor, Packapalooza™ Planning Team
Chairperson, NC State University.

Jeffery Miller, Geography Instructor, Diablo Valley College.

Warren Roberts, GIS Program Coordinator and Instructor, Rio Hondo College.

Daniel Robertson, Lead Safety and Test Pilot, Utah State University.

Kat McDonald, Account Executive and UAV Expo Coordinator.